Add the mayo mixture tossing to distribute throughout the rice blend. Taste for seasoning, adjust if necessary.

5

CCP: Serve or hold at a minimum of 140 degrees. Do not hold longer than 2 hours. Toss before service. Serving size: 1 cup or 8 oz spoodle.

To make the Creole Seasoning

6

Combine all spices in a deep bowl. Place in an air-tight dated container. CCP: Hold in dry storage for up to 1 year.

The origins of Mardi Gras can be traced to medieval Europe, passing through Rome and Venice in the 17th and 18th centuries to the French House of the Bourbons. From here, the traditional revelry of “Boeuf Gras,” or fatted calf, followed France to her colonies.

The celebration of Mardi Gras—also known as Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day, depending on where you are—dates back to Medieval times in Europe. Feasting on the days leading up to Ash Wednesday, which begins the Lenten season of fasting, were common in Italy and France, and these traditions eventually made their way to the New World with the French.

In 1699, an explorer—Jean Baptiste Le Moyne Sieur de Bienville—landed about sixty miles south of the place that would become New Orleans (the city itself would be established nineteen years later by Bienville). Landing on the eve of Mardi Gras, he named the place “Pointe du Mardi Gras” as a means of honoring the holiday. This is seen as the first celebration of the holiday in the US.

Over time, the celebrations that began at Point du Mardi Gras began to grow. There were parades and street parties (not like those today, mind you), high society balls, and more. The parties continued on over the next few decades until the Spanish took over New Orleans in the 1760s and worked to shut down what they viewed as deprave celebrations. The restrictions continued until the US Government took over in the early 1800s. From then until 1837, the holiday was recognized but not encouraged.

After decades of suppression, the first official Mardi Gras parade took place in 1837. Parades and elegant balls continued in the following years, but by the early 1850s, had begun to wane in popularity.

Nutrition Facts

100 servings per container

Serving Size1 cup

Amount per serving

Calories0

% Daily Value*

Total Fat6.3 g8.08%

Saturated Fat1 g5%

Trans Fat0 g

Cholesterol4.7 mg1.57%

Sodium236 mg10.26%

Total Carbohydrate52.2 g18.98%

Dietary Fiber4.4 g15.71%

Added Sugars3.6 g7.2%

Protein6.7 g13.4%

Calcium48.6 mg3.74%

Iron1.7 mg9.44%

Potassium288 mg6.13%

Vitamin A1148 mcg127.56%

Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)24.1 mg26.78%

Vitamin E (Tocopherol)0.8 IU2.42%

Vitamin K105 mcg87.5%

Vitamin B12 (Cobalamine)0 mcg0%

Magnesium95 mg22.62%

* The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.